"Honors" and "High Honors"
The Honors Program in Economics provides qualified students with several different pathways to graduating with 'Honors in Economics' or with 'High Honors in Economics,' each of which are outlined below.
To be eligible for the Program, a student must have a grade point average of at least 3.3 in courses counting toward the major (excluding ECON 1, ECON 10, and MATH 3), and an overall grade point average of at least 3.0. Additionally, in order to be eligible for 'High Honors,' a student must take ten major courses (beyond prerequisites), rather than just the nine courses required for a standard or 'Honors' major.
Majors enrolled in a 60-level course or in ECON 80 or ECON 82 ("80-level") whose research papers for that course are deemed of exceptional merit by the instructor, and who are otherwise eligible for the Program, shall be granted 'Honors in Economics" with no additional coursework necessary. No more than two students per section may be granted 'Honors' in this way without a vote of the department. Students may subsequently enroll in ECON 87 and extend their research from the 60 or 80-level course in order to be eligible for 'High Honors.' Failure to enroll in or to complete ECON 87 will not forfeit the original 'Honors' designation. Additional students meeting requirements for the Program whose major paper in their 60 or 80-level course is considered to have excellent potential to develop further into a thesis may also be invited to enroll in ECON 87 to become eligible for either 'Honors' or 'High Honors.'
An additional method of earning 'Honors' is to complete the ECON 80-81-82 sequence with an average grade of B+ and having received a grade of A- or better in each of the prerequisite classes (i.e. ECON 20, ECON 21 and ECON 22). The instructors of this sequence may additionally recommend that students who have done such outstanding work in these courses that it would achieve the 'Honors' designation by the method described above be granted 'High Honors' by vote of the Department, provided the student has completed ten major courses (beyond prerequisites).
A final, more traditional method of achieving 'Honors' or 'High Honors' is by writing an Honors thesis. Honors theses are, in all cases, continuation of original research papers completed in another 60- or 80-level class, and/or an independent study (ECON 85). A thesis is generally completed in conjunction with taking ECON 87.01, which is offered every spring term. Permission is required to enroll in ECON 87.01, and is decided by a committee consisting of the potential Honors thesis advisor(s) and the ECON 87.01 instructors. The application is due by the end of the winter term.
Your application to take ECON 87.01 consists of the following three things:
1. The name of your advisor(s) (who has already agreed to supervise your thesis)
2. A draft of the paper that will be the basis of the thesis
3. A document outlining how you plan to take the paper forward during the thesis term
To apply, by the end of the winter term, send an email with these three items jointly to the following people:
(a) The thesis advisor(s)
(b) The instructors of ECON 87.01
(c) Karen Pelletier (the department administrator)
Not all applications are accepted. Acceptance is based on the committee's assessment of the credibility and feasibility of the student's plan and the project's potential to make a novel contribution to knowledge.
In rare cases students can complete an Honors thesis in a term other than the spring term by enrolling in ECON 87 with an advisor's permission. The standards for permission to enroll in this case are the same as for ECON 87.01.
Both regular majors and modified majors who wish to enroll in ECON 87 or ECON 87.01 will be expected to have taken all courses relevant to their topic prior to enrollment. For those enrolling in ECON 87 or ECON 87.01, an average grade of B+ (3.33) or better in the 60- or 80- level course (and/or ECON 85) and ECON 87.01 (or ECON 87) is necessary for the student to graduate with 'Honors in Economics.' A vote of the Department is necessary to achieve 'High Honors in Economics,' along with one additional major course beyond those required for the standard or 'Honors' major. The Department will consider the student's performance on the thesis and his or her record in Economics courses in awarding 'High Honors.'
THE ROLE OF ECONOMICS 85 AND PATHWAYS TO AN HONORS THESIS
ECON 85 is an independent study in economics. Students should be aware that independent studies are rare in economics. The vast majority of Honors theses begin in a 60- or 80-level class, rather than in ECON 85 (though some theses developed over three terms involve ECON 85: a 60- or 80-level class, followed by ECON 85 and then ECON 87 or ECON 87.01).
Since not all applications to pursue an honors thesis are accepted, students interested in Honors research are encouraged to take multiple 60- or 80-level courses. To maximize the chances for success, students also may want to develop empirical research skills and topics prior to taking these courses, for example, by making contact with professors whose research aligns with their interests, and applying to be in the DERS program.